Emerging Online Science Teaching Practices: Insights from High School Physics Teaching Cases in South Korea during COVID-19 Pandemic

By analyzing cases in South Korea, this study examined high school physics teachers’ online teaching practices during the first semester of school lockdown due to COVID-19. A total of eight physics teachers participated in this study. Data sources included observations of online classes, interviews with the teachers, and lesson materials. Data analysis was informed by social practice theory and literature on online learning. As a result, teachers’ practices were distinguished based on teaching emphases including content explanation, participatory learning, and independent first-hand experience. Through the application of various technological tools, teaching practices varied in terms of the degree of interactions and student self-directedness. Three essential practices of physics teaching, defined as those preserved from on-site teaching, were identified. Those features reflected the nature of schooling and the subject matter. The teachers were found to have professional development opportunities through online teaching experiences. Implications for professional development and further research topics are suggested.